Welcome To The Real World
by star darling xo
Summary: Growing up is never easy. As soon as the graduation caps are flying in the air, their lives are completely changed...some of them just don't know it yet. Follow the Clique characters as they embark into adult hood and discover the lessons of life. As we all know, nothing is set in stone and their futures are no exception. Some things just weren't meant to be...Disclaimed:) R&R!
1. High School Graduates

As soon as the graduation caps were airborne, they felt this amazing sensation. Accomplishment and pride to name a few. But another thing was their excitement. They all had the same plan: to make it big and get famous. But for these young-adults, their journey to the top would be a hard one.

The caps were beginning their descent back to the ground as three girls in the middle of the crowd got swarmed by followers. Alicia Rivera was the leader. Her long raven black hair had glamorous curls, voluminous and bouncy. The other two girls, Dylan Marvil and Olivia Ryan, had similar dos. Dylan's had beach-y waves, and Olivia had Goldie-locks curls and actually resembled Goldie-locks herself. They all wore the same dark graduation robes and had diplomas rolled like scrolls in their hands, neatly tied with a bow. "This is it girls!" Alicia exclaimed, beaming.

They squeezed together into a group hug, holding back tears. Alicia was right; this really was it. A few seconds later though, a boy rushed up behind them and poked Alicia. Turning, she ran into her boyfriend, Joshua Hotz.

"Hey Joshie!" she stood up on her tip toes and pecked him on the lips. She leaned back but kept her arms swinging around his neck "Are we still on for tonight?"

He bit his lip. "About our date, sorry Leesh but there's this massive graduation party tonight that-"

"We decided not to go to," she interrupted him and shot a malicious glare. "Josh, you aren't ditching me for your friends _again_, are you?"

"This is really important!" he protested, stomping his foot like a little kid.

"Yeah, yeah. It's _always_ important. Look, Josh, I don't want to be in this relationship if we don't even spend time together anymore."

"What?" his eyes widened. She snapped her fingers, telling her friends to follow her.

"Bye Josh," she said before disappearing into the crowd of riled up teena-no, _young adults_. Dylan and Olivia did as they were commanded and kept up a brisk pace right after her. Josh frowned. This graduation turned bad in an instant.

* * *

In England, it was hours after Massie Block threw her own cap into the air. She was in her room with friends, preparing for the party going on at James's house. "Massie!" one girl, Carly squealed. "You look ah-mazing! Definitely 10!"

She wasn't lying. Massie wore a Alice + Olivia strapless dress with purple and black bands that hugged her body and Jimmy Choo black wedge booties. Her Prada bag matched perfectly, a radiant violet in color. She had a gold charm bracelet that she got the first day of Freshman year. She wore it all the time even four years later, but it was imperative she wore it that night. After all, it was the exact age as her high school years, almost like a token from them. It was a simple yet elegant outfit, also very fit for the party they were attending.

Massie smiled warmly at Carly. She had blonde hair that went to her butt when straightened, but that night it was in loose waves. It was still super long but it was shortened slightly. Green eyes sparkling, she posed, signaling Massie to give her a rating. She wore a teal DKNY asymmetrical dress that went well with her skin tone. Her Fendi bag was dark leather, a well pairing to the dress and silver Tiffany necklace. Her Miu Miu heels were the same dark shade as her bag, not yet black but still not definable in color. "Congrats, you are a 9.8! Now onto Riley."

Riley smiled shyly and faced towards the girls, striking her best model pose. Her brown hair was in a perfectly messy bun and she drew attention to her bright hazel eyes with dramatic eye shadow that appeared professional. She wore a red Ralph Lauren dress and a black shrug was draped over her shoulders. A Gucci bag swung from her wrist and vintage red kitten heels completed the look. "Congrats, you are a 9.75!" Massie declared.

Heels clicking, the girls walked out of the house with their arms linked. "Let's go blow their minds before we all go disappear from each others lives forever," Massie muttered. The girls, still gleeful but partially saddened, nodded.

* * *

_Shit! _Kristen thought as she smacked her head. She was the valedictorian of BOCD and had her big speech earlier. But...well...it stunk.

Even her parents were snoring. Kristen took this as a sign that she was doomed when college came around. If she couldn't handle something as simple as a graduation speech, what would happen later on? When she has to go out for job interviews? What about dates? All of they guys will think she's a complete loser! She was over before she even got started.

Luckily, or maybe it was unlucky, Dune caught her. He lightened up the mood once he joined her on stage. The principal had desperately pushed him up there, in fact, which made his arrival quite humorous. It made her appreciate him, but resent him at the same time. How was he so _perfect _at _everything_?! He even managed to sweet-talk his way into Yale! She got Harvard, which was a prestigious school as well, but she honestly would have preferred Yale. Harvard was for her parents. Ugh, he's so lucky!

* * *

Eyes watering, Claire watched as time passed by. Fondly, she squeezed Cam's hand. The grinned at each other, glad to be out of this place.

But darkness loomed over their relationship. He was going off to some fantastic school in Massachusetts and she was going back to Florida for Barry University. To make matters worse, she was leaving early. She was accepted to a curricular program that required her spending the summer at the University. She was leaving the next Wednesday and it was only Saturday. Just barely five days.

"Cammie, you can go on ahead. Talk to your friends. I think I'll go hang out with Layne." she said, forcing a weak smile. His eyes lit up before they drooped and he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Are you sure?"

"Totally!" she lied. "We're supposed to be having fun! I don't want it to be my fault if we don't enjoy our graduation."

Cam smiled for real and, with a nod, ran off to his soccer friends. Layne immediately ran up to her and yanked on her arm. "Come on Claire, we need to finish the senior prank now!"

Claire gave her a once over. Layne was jumping with hyper-ness, obviously ecstatic to be finally doing it. They had been planing for months, after all. Quickly and quietly, they wove through the crowd until they discovered Heather and Meena at the meeting spot. Just in front of an old pickup truck that hasn't moved an inch in over a year. It was a mystery that no one put much thought into.

In hushed whispers, they giggled about the plan. In a few seconds, the principal was going to approach the podium to make one last announcement to the senior class and-BAM! He would be assaulted with Balloons. Not just any balloons though, these suckers have colored smoke filling them. So when he popped one-oops, he would get colored powder on his face. Either that, or they would fly around in the air and contaminate everyone which is just as satisfactory.

They spotted his round figure climbing the stairs onto the stage. Immediately, they jumped into action. Heather muttered something into a walkie-talkie, probably to prep the guys who were manning the giant balloon gun, a five foot metal contraption Layne put together in a good 10 hours. Meena stood guard around the corner and Layne kept her hand steady on the lever which sent an electrical signal to the gun, which was stationed closer to the stage, through wires they managed to run through the ground. Claire surveyed the scene. In front of them, the seniors nonchalantly walked around with friends, enjoying as much of it as they could. Most of them were aware of what would happen though. The principal finally reached the stage and was about to speak when Layne pulled the lever. At the exact moment, the girls took off, shrinking back into the crowd. 5..4..3..2.._boom! _the stage is flooded with technicolor balloons. Some flew through the air, violently jerking and spewing out colorful powder. The principal, being the cool guy he is, simply chuckled and caught one. His face turned a bright purple all of a sudden, and Claire feared that he was angry, but quickly realized it was the powder. She didn't care how lame and childish it seemed- to her, it couldn't have been better.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my new story 'Welcome to the Real World'! **

**Sorry but the idea came to me and I just couldn't let it go! This will probably take the space of 'There You Are' in my schedule(sorry to those readers!) because I'm kind of losing my inspiration for that one..idk. I'll keep working on it since I still have a bunch of ideas for it, but for now that's probably going to be on a slight Hiatus. (again, sorry!)**

**Review:)**

**xoxo,**

**Natalie:D**


	2. News Flash

3 MONTHS LATER

Dylan Marvil gaped at the magnificent structure in front of her. It wasn't any thing quite marvelous to anyone but her. It was the studio for the new TV Show she was going to star in. This was her big break.

Glancing back at the script in front of her, she tried to calm herself. Her character was Kimberly Jane. She was the new girl at her High School and the show was basically about her progressing through mean girls, crushes and other things of the sort. Taking one last deep breath, Dylan entered the stage. Her director, Raymond, was standing right in front of her with a man who wore a bulky headset. He noticed her and threw his hands up in the air.

"Dylan, dear! Good to see you! We're going to have you run through a few lines with your co-star, Malcolm. He's right over there," he whirled around and pointed to a dark haired boy. He was slouched over a table, flipping through the script. Dylan stole one last glance at Raymond. He was a thirty five year old with jet-black hair, gelled up similarly to that of James Bond. He wore a navy blazer, dark wash jeans, and sneakers. He had a handsome face but always wore a smirk, like he knew something you didn't.

She gingerly made her way over to the boy she assumed was Malcolm. Up close, she could tell that he was very handsome. A perfect jawline, big green eyes and side swept hair that was mildly Justin Bieber but not enough to be noticed.

"Hey," she began shyly. Malcolm's head turned to see Dylan, who was wearing a polka dot Ralph Lauren dress that hit just above her knee, a Betsey Johnson Necklace and vintage kitten heels. Malcolm smiled and held a hand out for her to shake.

Hands , she lifted one up to meet his. "Hey," he greets. _Ehmagawd! His voice is sexier than him! _Dylan was ecstatic. "I'm Malcolm," he continues.

"Dylan." she complied. Swiftly, she swiped the seat next to him. "Raymond sent me over to rehearse a few lines with you. Where should we start?"

Malcolm shrugged. "You choose."

She leafed through the pages. One caught her eye. The scene was titled 'A Choice'. It was before the back-to-school dance in the show, where Ryan was taking Kim. "This one. I don't think I even have it memorized." she laughed. He smiled slyly.

SCENE:

"Kim," he began. "I don't know if this is a good idea. What if my friends see us?"

"What, are you embarrassed of me?" she spat.

"No!" his eyes widened.

"Save it Zach." She stood and began to walk away before turning back slightly. "It's me or your popularity. You pick."

END SCENE

"You were really good," he complimented Dylan.

"You too," she blushed, giving her cheeks a reddish tint.

* * *

Lip blotting, Massie checked her mirror one last time before standing up. Looking down, she analyzed what she was wearing. A simple royal blue Ella Moss dress with a ruffle neck line and black Miu Miu suede wedge booties. A tote from Coach completed the look.

She had ridden first class across the Atlantic and as she was beginning to abandon the safety of the plane and enter Hadley Airport, she was secretly nervous. She was attending Amherst College in Massachusetts but she hasn't even been to America since eighth grade when she left! And she had to leave her friends and boyfriend, James, behind. They were all going to Oxford, of course. But she had to follow her dreams. At Amherst, she would get her degree in the Liberal Arts so she can move on to Central Saint Martins, back in England, for fashion design.

With a sigh, she pulled herself out of the seat and reluctantly descended the steps leading away from the plane. A worker attended to Massie's bags, gently carrying them to the convertible awaiting her. Once all of her fall clothes were piled in the back and the trunk, Massie tossed the kind boy a tip and drove the short 3.2 miles. Those 10 minutes felt longer than ever.

She went to the hall where it said to check in. Heels clicking against the pavement, she hopped up the steps and lugged open the door. At the wood, mahogany, desk, a thirty or so year old woman sat plump in her chair. She was too busy analyzing the computer screen to notice Massie at first, so Massie tapped the bell. The tiny ping echoed through the large foyer. The woman tore her eyes away from the screen and flashed her a sugary sweet smile. "What can I get you sweetie?" she asks, faking enthusiasm.

Massie grinned in amusement. "Hello, I'm Massie Block. Freshman. May I check in, _please_?"

A look of realization passed over the woman's face. "Yes! Yes, of course Ms. Block!" she confirms, shuffling towards the back of her little nook. Digging through the shelves, she suddenly jumped and spun to face Massie. In her hands was a small stack of documents. "Here's all the information. Your schedule, your room number and key, your class descriptions, the list of books you need, extra-curricular lists, sports list, map," the woman rambled on.

"Thanks," Massie interrupted. "Have a nice day."

Massie shoved the disheveled papers into her tote and left, getting back into her car. She riffled through the paper with her dorm information, having not taken off yet. _James house; 4th floor; 2-room double J407. _ Seems easy enough. She started the car immediately thereafter, speeding off to her new home.

**...**

She was one of the first to arrive at the house. Once she reached the top floor, she raced down the hall and stopped in front of the door leading to her dorm. Slowly, Massie shoved her key into the keyhole and the door opened with ease. Immediately to her left was a door leading to the second room. The first room was primarily barren, excluding the frumpy blue couch in the middle and the two desks pushed up against the window. Bored, she slipped into the bedroom. Two beds were there, each encompassing their own corner. She chose the one on the left corner. It seemed cozier. She carelessly tossed her bag onto the bed of her choice and ran downstairs to retrieve the rest of her things.

After she finally brought the last bag up, she slumped on to the bed. She wasn't sure how much she liked being on the top floor. But Massie forced herself back on to her feet and unpacked. First her Mauve bedspread, followed by the posters of her favorite bands, pictures of friends, Magazine clippings, etc. Suddenly, a knock erupted outside the door. She snapped her head back to the sound, as if something would happen. When nothing did, she climbed off of the bed and opened the entryway to reveal a group of soccer players. They were in full practice attire; mud and all. They kept messing around. Shoving, kicking, laughing, all the key items that contribute to immaturity. Massie rolled her eyes and was about to slam the door when one guy put a hand on it, intercepting her push. She glanced up to see a pair of brown eyes meet her amber orbs.

"H-hey," he stuttered. Massie stared at him blankly. "We live on this floor too, so we just wanted to introduce ourselves. I'm Derrick, this is Cam," he pointed to a boy with mismatched eyes and dark hair. "and Josh," he pointed to a Spanish looking boy. She refused to even flinch. This couldn't possibly be happening. _They can't be here, not now, _She thought. He locked his eyes on her. "What's your name?"

"No," she shook her head. Derrick looked at her quizzically. "I _mean_," she corrected. "I have to finish unpacking and I'm sure you're plenty busy so I'll just let you be."

Quickly, she shut the door and leaned against it. There was a knock again. She answered, hesitantly. Massie thought they would still be there, but they moved on to other dorms. In front of her was a thin girl with platinum blonde hair that hung a bit past her shoulders in thin, flat strips. Her eyes sparkled with a magnificent shade of green. "Hello! I'm Massie!" Massie held out a hand. "I'm guessing you're my roommate, no?"

The girl had a dead look on her face, like she was seeing straight through Massie. She shoved her way past Massie's hand and into the bedroom. Massie followed. "Are you a freshman too? You seem sorta young, so I guess so," Massie tried.

Her roommate shrugged, collapsing onto her bed. "Sorry," she apologized flatly. "I just went through the loss of a family member and I guess I'm just not in the mood for talking."

Massie frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," the girl ran her fingers through her hair before she let her arm fall limp to her side. She rolled over to face the wall. "It's better that they're dead. They would be suffering otherwise."

In response, Massie pursed her lips and sat on her own bed. There was a cold silence. She decided change the subject. "So, I never caught your name-"

"It's Allison." she stated. With a groan, she sat up in her bed and looked out the window.

"Want help unpacking, Allison?"

"Sure," Allison answered, a small smile forming on her lips. They got to work, decorating Allison's side which bared a remarkable resemblance to Massie's side. Massie gave her tips on organizing the trunk at the end of her bed. By the end of the night, they were joking around like best friends.

* * *

She waited in front of the tall skyscraper. Alicia was gathering the courage to stomp in and get her job interview over with. The whole reason she moved to New York City instead of hiding away in Westchester was to land this gig at a couture magazine after all. So once she was crazy enough, she pushed through the glass doors and entered the world of journalism.

The interior was futuristic. The furniture was mostly glass or leather and in the very back, there was a giant globe mounted on the wall, sticking out in three-d. Men and women ran around the building, looking official in their business suits. Alicia felt out of place wearing her white Ralph Lauren blouse and orange Ella Moss mini skirt, along with the yellow Jimmy Choo high heels. Finally she spotted who she was looking for. A woman wearing all black was waiting by the entrance to the right wing, trying to flag Alicia down by waving her arm up and down. Alicia speed-walked over to the woman, who appeared to be no older than twenty two. What with the healthy blonde hair and twinkling blue eyes. The unfortunate part is how serious she looked with her hair tightly screwed into a bun and her eyes narrowed, harsh and dangerous.

"Hello Ms. Matthews." Alicia greeted the woman. She smiled in return.

"Ms. Rivera," she regarded her. "Come this way," the woman led her down the right wing until they reached an elevator. A few minutes under the soft glow of the elevator's lights with a faint tune humming in the background and they reached Ms. Matthews's office.

Her office sat atop the skyscraper. The walls were all made of glass with virtually no lines, excluding the corners, so the people in her presence could view the world just as the world could view them. Hardwood floors lined the room, and her desk was as see-through as the walls. If you looked over it too quickly, it would appear as if the computer and various desktop items were floating in mid-air. Ms. Matthews sat down at her desk, gesturing for Alicia to sit as well.

"So Ms. Rivera. You are applying for a reporter position. Now tell me, do you have any _real_ experience?"

"No..." Alicia said, warily, after some thought.

"Do you have a degree in Journalism?"

"No," Alicia frowned.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"No."

"I'm sorry, Alicia, but you can't get a job here without any experience. Newsflash: This is the professional world. Now if you are done wasting my time, you can leave." the lady snapped, turning cold faster than you can say 'Bipolar'.

Defeated, Alicia stormed away. _Well that was useless._ She thought, bitterly. _Why do I need experience? Hell, why do I need a degree? It seems pretty pointless. _

* * *

**Review:)**

**xoxo,**

**Natalie:D**


	3. Some Memories are Better Left Forgotten

Claire sighed, launching herself onto the bed she's used the past three months. She had the apartment to herself the whole summer up to this point. It was a small apartment, including a bedroom with two beds, a small kitchen and a hangout/ living room space; fully equipped with a TV and x-box. Claire loved it there, seeing as she made a friend on the first day she came, Bethany.

"Hello!?" A girl screamed as she walked into the apartment, shutting the door behind her. She got back on her feet and left the bedroom, going out to greet her new room mate.

"Hi, I'm Claire." Claire states bluntly. She beamed brightly. Her hair was long, half way down her back. It was chocolate brown with one blonde strip that surprisingly worked well for her, unlike many other who have tried the same thing. She was wearing denim shorts, five inch hot pink heels and a turquoise sequin tank top- not to mention the woven fedora on top of her head.

"Hey, I'm Kayla Brendan!" she stuck a hand out. Claire could already tell that she was one of the peppy types. She shakily held hers out to meet Kayla's and she gripped it, shaking rapidly.

"Well Kayla, it's nice to meet you. My friend is coming over soon so maybe we can all hang out."

"Sounds like fun!" her eyes lit up. "I'm going to go start un-packing."

She disappeared into the bedroom without another word. "You do that," Claire muttered. Just as suddenly as Kayla left her, Bethany arrived. She came in, not even knocking, wearing a navy polka dot dress and red blazer. Bethany has light ash brown hair and sweet honey eyes.

"Claire!" she exclaimed. "My room mate bailed! She _quit_!"

"Wow," Claire replied, taken aback. It was, apparently, rare for that to happen just before school started. "That means you'll have your apartment to yourself!"

"I know! Isn't it great?"

"Yeah, fantastic," Claire mumbled, slightly jealous. Bethany had her whole apartment to herself for the rest of the year, given no one moves in second semester. Claire turned to see Kayla practically vibrating in hyper-ness. In a hushed whisper so Kayla wouldn't hear, she asked, "Do you think I could move in there? My roommate scares me."

"Sure," Bethany agreed. "Just make sure you check with the dean."

"Oh, she'll be fine with it."

24 hours later

"Why wouldn't she let you!" Bethany exclaimed from the other side of the phone.

"Because 'it would be rude to abandon your roomie after you've already met them. And who knows, she could be your next best friend!' Uch, give me a break."

"Maybe you should just put up with her. It's not like she's crazy."

Kayla was staring intensely at the TV screen, her gaze unwavering. Not even to blink.

"Obviously you haven't met her." Claire rolled her eyes.

* * *

At Harvard, Kristen was going through Hell. It was like Legally Blonde. But without a happy ending or an awesome thirty + year old working at a salon to give her Mani Pedis and advice. Kristen didn't want to go to Harvard. She didn't want to become a cold-blooded lawyer. She wanted to be a soccer player.

Kristen clung to her black JanSport Backpack as she entered her dorm. Luckily, she got a single and didn't have the stress of a room mate. The empty, dark space was supplied with a little cot, a desk and drawers. "Looks like this is my new home." she sighed before plopping onto her bed. Suddenly, her phone buzzed and chirped; signaling a new message.

**UNKNOWN** **NUMBER:** HEY KRIS, ITS BEEN A WHILE.  
**KRISTEN:** WHO IS THIS?  
**UNKNOWN NUMBER:** DEMPSEY

Kristen sighed in relief and saved his number in her crappy flip phone.

**KRISTEN:** GOOD. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SOME CREEPY STALKER LIKE IN PRETTY LITTLE LIARS XD  
**DEMPSEY:** LOL.  
**KRISTEN: **SO WTS UP?  
**DEMPSEY: **NM. JUST TRYING TO FIND AN UPSIDE TO LIVING IN AFRICA.  
**KRISTEN: **WELL YOU'RE HELPING ALL OF THOSE ORPHANS AREN'T YOU?  
**DEMPSEY: **YEAH, THAT'S GREAT IN ALL AND I LOVE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES, BUT IT JUST DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT FOR ME. LIKE THIS ISN'T WHAT i'M MEANT TO DO... YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

Kristen snorted.

**KRISTEN: **I DON'T JUST KNOW, I'M SUFFERING THROUGH IT AT THE MOMENT.  
**DEMPSEY: **LOL  
**KRISTEN: **I DO UNDERSTAND THOUGH. ITS LIKE YOU HAD YOUR FUTURE DECIDED FOR YOU, BUT YOU AREN'T SURE IF ITS THE ONE YOU WANT ANYMORE.  
**DEMPSEY: **EXACTLY

She always loved talking to Dempsey. They could easily relate to each other. Kristen desperately wanted to have a second chance with him, but she knew it could never work now. He was in Africa and she's in Harvard. It wasn't meant to be. And besides, how many people marry their high school sweethearts- without pregnancy being the reason?

**K****RISTEN: **WELL I GTG UNPACK. TRY TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT:) CYA  
**DEMPSEY: **LOL SURE. BYE KRIS.

Flopping onto her bed, Kristen glanced at the ceiling. She could hear girls pacing up and down the hallway, chatting with friends and catching up. She was the only freshman on this floor. She was just hoping that there were no popular girls at Harvard. She dealt with plenty of those in Westchester.

_..flashback.._

_"look Kris, we're all going our separate ways," Alicia frowned. "since you want to focus on soccer, I think you should leave the Pretty Committee and hang out with the soccer sisters from now on."_

_"But we're best friends!" Kristen protested. Alicia simply scoffed. _

_"Yeah right. We all knew this was coming, even Claire left to hang out with the LBRs. It's better if you aren't here."_

_"If only Massie was still here." Kristen mumbled to herself as she walked away from table 18 for the last time. "None of this would be happening."_

_..end of flashback.._

It was that fateful day in their Freshman year that the Pretty Committee was no more. Kristen knew that Claire left because her closest friend in the group, Massie, was gone. Kristen didn't really want to leave though. She was so close with all of them. But it definitely wasn't the same without Massie. And Kristen, looking back on it, was glad she got kicked out of the PC. She had all the right friends who weren't shallow or stuck up. Finally, she was living the good life.

Tired of memories, she dug through a box. It happened to be her box of memories. Reluctantly, she pulled out the middle school scrapbook she made. Pictures of her and the Pretty Committee lined the pages. She smiled half-hearted-ly and leafed through. She came to one page that had a Tiffany charm bracelet dangling from it. The one Massie gave her, and the rest of TPC, at the beginning of eighth grade. She grinned and squeezed it around her already thin wrist. This keepsake was one of the better from those years.

* * *

Doubled over in laughter, Massie tried to sit back upright- and failing. "I hope you're kidding!" She exclaimed.

Allison shook her head vigorously, holding back more snickers. "I was literally just standing there on the bus and next thing I know, this guy is saying 'Yeah, my balls are pretty attractive.'"

"Oh my god!" Massie sighed, all out of laughs. "That's just weird. Hey, I know this is random, but wanna go down to the Robert Frost Library? I have to pick up some books for class."

"Sure. I have to give the Librarian something anyway."

They got up and left the room. Allison and Massie were unaware of the boy that followed them out of the James House.

Jimmy Choo heels clicking against the asphalt, the two began to work their way to Massie's car before Massie held Allison back. "It's nice out. Why don't we walk?"

"Fine with me." So they got on the walkway leading to the center of Campus, where the Robert Frost library is located. The scent of fresh fall leaves filled the air. One delicately dropped to the ground in front of Massie. Immediately, she reached down to pick it up. It's delicate structure fit perfectly in her palm. Massie smiled lightly before letting it fall back down to the ground with a silent _crunch_. "You know, it's been great to have a good friend like you around."

"Thanks, but-if you don't mind my asking-what about the friends you had before?" Massie asked.

"I don't know. I had tons of friends but never any good ones. And when my brother and sister committed suicide, I shut everyone out."

"They both committed suicide?" she observed.

"Well, my older brother tried to kill himself by crashing the car. He didn't realize my toddler sister stowed away in the back."

"Why was she in the back?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "She was talking about how she wanted a toy. Maybe she thought he could take her to the store. I guess we'll never really know the whole story," Allison said sadly.

"Well, she's in a better place now." Massie sighed.

"Yeah."

Suddenly, a blonde haired boy by the name of Derrick Harrington collided into Massie while on his skateboard. They both crashed to the ground, onto the Campus sidewalk. "Ew! Getoffameh!" she cried.

"Sorry," Derrick said sincerely, offering her a hand. She rolled her eyes and stood up by herself. "Okay then..."

"Are you okay?" Allison focused her attention on Massie. She nodded in return and spun to face away from Derrick. Ignoring her ignoring him, he walked along side her and began to ask her questions.

"Do I know you? You look familiar."

"You were the creepy guy who came to my door with your friends." she replied flatly.

"No that's not it."

"Yes, that _is_ it."

"Okay, well what's your story?"

"I don't know. It's still being written," she responded coolly.

"Could I have a spoiler?" he tried .

"Sorry, you'll just have to wait until the publishing date; May 15th of two thousand and never."

"Wasn't two thousand & never a boutique in Hyde Park?" Allison side commented. Massie hushed her playfully.

"Wait, is it?" Derrick asked.

"No Allie, you're thinking of 'Boutique 2000'."

"Oh yeah," realization dawned on her.

"K Blondie, are we done here?" Massie looked at him, bored.

"One more thing," he held a hand up. "What's your perception of me?"

"You want me to tell you my perception of you?" Massie asked, unsure. Derrick nodded his head urgently. "Okay. You're a player. A soccer player and a relationship player. You come from a rich background and your parents probably forced you here, against your wishes. You're cocky and proud. You think that every one kisses the ground you walk on- which is completely underestimating the way they worship you. You're immune to emotions. So tossing a girl aside is no biggie. You think all of your exes are stupid and immature but in reality, they're probably more mature than you'll ever be. You have the potential to be a great person but you just aren't there yet. Girls- well they know your type but they can't help it when they look at your '_totally heart-melting-puppy-dog eyes_'" she made air quotes. "so they date you, get their heartbroken and admire you from afar. Even if you're the asshole that ripped their hearts out. But let's face it- you can't help being a serial-cheating/heart breaking player. But you arrive here and check out your future victims. Then you spot a simple English girl (me) who has high hopes but little chances and you think I would be an easy target. But what you've failed to realize, Derrick Harrington, is that looks are _way _too deceiving for things to be _that _easy."

Without another word, Massie walked away and caught up to Allison. _Damn. _Derrick thought, _brutally honest, much?_

Wanting an explanation, he ran up to her and pulled on her shoulder. "You never really did tell me your name."

"I know," Massie shrugged before leaving again. He gritted his teeth in defeat and turned to go back to the dorm.


	4. Coaches need to Learn how to Teach

She could feel her blood sloshing around in her veins. Heart thumping through her chest, Alicia collapsed to her knees- almost pleading for mercy. "Rivers! Stand!" her former dance coach commanded her. She immediately jolted up back on her feet. "Failli!"

Alicia did as she was told. She stood in 5th position, right foot front. Then, she would Demi-plie, jump up vertically, feet close together. During the jump, she turns her body efface back, and immediately, without a pause, moved the extended toe of her left foot on the floor through 1st position forward in croise, and then demi-plie.

"Very good," her ex-teacher clapped gently, almost half-hearted. "Grand Jete!"

Once more, she completed the move with as much grace and charisma as Skye could, if not more. She was always jealous of Skye. She had to make sure she could show her up at the next Alumni competition for Body Alive Dance Studio. Alicia wasn't passionate about many things, but this she loved more than anything. "Excellent. Fouette on Pointe!"

Alicia groaned slightly, not enough for the coach to notice though. She got into position before spinning, whipping out her leg every few seconds- making a perfect Fouette. Luckily, she was used to doing traditional Fouettes rather than Italian ones, so doing it on pointe was no trouble. **(a/n: traditional is on pointe, Italian is not) **

This time, she earned a genuine applause. "Good job Rivers, You'll be ready for the competition. Just don't forget rehearsals on Friday!"

Sighing in exhaustion and relief, Alicia put on a weak, lopsided smile. "Thanks, I won't. I'm going down to the locker room now," she dismissed herself. Gingerly, she gripped her dance bag and slid it over her shoulder. Not wanting to linger on the stage a second longer, she sped down the staircase and across to the exit of the vast auditorium. The halls of the vast dance studio scared her. Squeaky clean floors, freshly dusted walls, not that anyone really came here anymore. The whole reason they were having an Alumni competition was because they wanted to draw attention to the studio and get people interested, not to mention make more money.

The only reason Alicia wanted to do this for no money was because, according to the rumors and assuming they're true, there are going to be scouts there. This would be her opportunity. The big break she's been waiting for her whole life.

* * *

Dylan twirled a strand of hair that was hanging in her face previously. Nerves took over her body, numbing her muscles and sending her brain into autopilot. "Y-you want to go out on a date? With me?" she stuttered.

"Well yeah," Malcolm nodded, red filling his cheeks. Her eyes widened.

"Sorry! I guess that came out wrong!" she said, suddenly embarrassed. "Of course I would."

"Oh no you don't!" The director popped up behind Malcolm. "I will not allow any romances on set! Imagine if you two were to break up! Then you guys would be upset or not wanting to do any scenes with each other and- just don't! Or you're fired!"

He sulked away from them after his threat. Dylan stared at Malcolm longingly, knowing that they simply couldn't date. Plus, she didn't want to ruin her friendship with him. She may like him a little more than she liked her guy friends from back in Westchester, but at least her dreams can't be crushed by reality this way.

Malcolm returned the gaze before sulking away, back to his posh trailer. Following suit, Dylan stormed to her own. On the door was a gold 5 point Star, showing the world that she was the leading lady. With a creak, her door opened and revealed the room(s) behind it. Chocolate brown rug with gold shimmer dusted in, a faux leather couch with cow skin (fake as well) pillows. A separate Kitchenette with marble counter tops and matching flooring in that area and a eating area with a bench and table. At the end of the trailer, there was a small bathroom with a 50's movie star mirror that Dylan ah-dores.

"I can get over him. Come on, it's only a guy," she thought out loud, mostly to reassure herself. Relaxing into the couch she picked up the remote and flipped through channels on the TV. As if by magic, her show commercial appeared on the screen. There was a scene of him asking her out and her swiftly declining and walking away down the hall, although her character definitely wanted to say yes. The same way Dylan wanted to.

She frowned. This 'getting over him' business was _nawt _going to be easy.

* * *

The black and white ball flew into Derricks arms so easily, it was almost like he didn't have to try.

He was trying out for the goalie position on the college soccer team and was up against 4 other guys, but there was no way he could blow this. And even if he did, he still had a guaranteed spot on the team. On the other side of the field, Seniors were launching balls up into the air and into his hands once again. Beads of sweat ran along his hairline and dripped down his face. Suddenly, his coach blew the whistle and interrupted him mid-catch. He dropped the ball to the ground and ran over, following the command of his Coach's beckoning, wagging fingers.

"Harrington," he sighs. "I don't think you should be Goalie."

"Why?" Derricks lips zippered into a tight frown.

"You have too much fun. That might have slid by through High School but this is College, we're serious about this stuff. 'Fun' starts with the same letter as 'Flawed'."

"So I can't have fun at what I'm doing? I have to be perfect at everything?" he raised an eyebrow to the old guy. His coach has light, wiry gray hair sleeked across his bald head and watery blue eyes.

"Not at everything, just at soccer. Until then, I'll have to give the spot to Xander. Better luck next year, Kid." With that, Coach walked away and over to congratulate Xander; leaving Derrick Harrington in the dust. He stood in shock, watching the coach hug the new goalie and converse. He should have known. After all, those two already had a close bond from years before. Derrick was just the freshman without a chance.

"Sorry man," a voice said behind him. He turned to find Cam and Josh, and they saw the whole thing. "Don't get upset," Cam continued. "At least you're still on the team."

"Yeah," Derrick mumbled. He's never felt so rejected. "I guess."

"There is always next year," Josh tried to point out.

"Yeah, that's what someone says when they're delusional. If they would take me next year, they would've taken me this year. It's as simple as that."

"But you love soccer!" Cam protested in a whiny voice.

"I do love soccer. Coach says that its not about loving the sport though. No, he says that its about winning and being perfect. If I'm not perfect for that position, I shouldn't try."

"Don't say that Harrington," Josh lowered his voice. "Listen, Coach isn't very good at his job if he thinks you aren't supposed to love this."

Derrick sighed, wrapping his duffle over his shoulder and looking around the field. "Or maybe I'm just not good at my job," he says before walking away, back to his dorm.

* * *

On Massie's way to do some Astrology research for a project, she bumped into Derrick. _Great, _She thought. _as if I didn't have enough on my mind, now I have to deal with this jerk. _His shoulders were slumped forward and he rarely took his eyes off the ground. She noticed his blonde hair a little saggier than usual and immediately she could tell something was up.

"Hey," he greeted her in a saddened voice. Not an over-exaggerated one, but a genuine sad voice.

"What's wrong?" she asks. He shrugged and placed himself on the bench nearby. Not wanting to awkwardly stand by, she followed suit. The bench was worn, sure to break any moment. But it held together for them. The exceptions.

"Soccer stuff. I'm not 'good enough' to be goalie for some reason. Coach said it was because I 'enjoyed myself'."

"Well he sounds like a loser."

"He is," he chuckled. "But the reason I did soccer here was because my parents sent me here for who-knows-what reason and it was the thing I wanted to do more than anything in my life. Ever since I was a little kid. So I thought it was perfect; having what I wanted and what my parents wanted. But nothing's really working out, I guess."

"Yeah," Massie sighed in agreement. "Well there's always next year."

Derrick groaned "Seriously?"

"What?"

"You're like the fifth person to say that now," he started laughing. She lightly giggled as well.

"I mean you could change colleges or something. Go to the school you want- not what your parents want. You know, your 'Dream School'. Its _your_ college experience, after all."

"Oh yeah, you wanna tell me this place is your dream school?" he raised a cocky eyebrow. She playfully rolled her eyes.

"Nope but this is what some could call my 'stairway to heaven.' I need to graduate with bachelors from a Liberal arts school before I can go to my real school."

"Then what's the Heaven college?"

"Central Saint Martins," she blurted. "In England, where I'm from."

"Cool," he replied.

"Well," she looked at him expectantly.

"Well what?"

She cocked her head sideways and shot him a flat look. "Well, what's your dream school?"

"Oh," he considered it for a second before realizing he had no clue. "I don't know..." he trailed off.

They sat in silence, briefly. The sun descended across the horizon, turning the sky a pinkish orange. Massie felt the rush of a cold breeze and instantly stood. It was beginning to get dark, which reminded her of what she was supposed to be doing. "Well, I kind of have to go to the observatory for research, but you can come if you want."

"sure," he agreed, standing up and following her. They walked along a rarely trodden path as not many people went to the observatory. Massie, on the other hand, visited frequently. She loved the solitude, and the beauty of stars lighting up the night sky. Little sparkling dots off in their own little worlds, er...galaxies. The dome was classical, much resembling an ancient Roman structure, and the whole roof was able to open up, leaving its golden frame hovering above the on lookers. It was a magnificent sight, and Massie appreciated being able to have it to herself.

The doors swung open without the slightest noise, letting Massie and Derrick slither soundlessly through the dark grand foyer. The observatory used to be an attraction, used for parties, events and other various gatherings. But eventually, people's love for the stars vanished and they stopped coming all-together. It was still used on occasion for classes and those few who still came (Massie).

In the domed area, the roof was closed, showing the star maps one could gaze up to during the day. There was a ring around the center viewing stage raised above it, with rails to keep from falling off the side. Massie led Derrick down to that platform where all the telescope gadgets were located. Sitting on the stool next to the screen, Derrick kept out of the way so Massie could do her 'thing'. She flipped a lever, instantly enabling the roof to roll backwards and flaunt the sky above it. The giant telescope, as if it was just coming out of its shell, poked out into the crisp air and projected a crystal clear view of thousands of nebulae and proto-stars. She tapped one last glowing red button, and the telescope began to auto pilot itself; whirring, shifting and turning to look at many different things across the Universe. They sat and watched on a glowing screen as the little dots began to grow a little bit bigger in their eyes.

"How come you won't let me know your name?" Derrick asks as the silence grew more and more awkward.

Pondering, she thought up a good excuse. "It's nothing personal, I just don't give my names to strangers."

"Ah, come on. I'm not strange-"

"I would beg to differ," she laughed. He stuck his tongue out and flipped his blonde hair.

"Besides, you seem to know exactly who I am,"

"Do you have a nut allergy?" she smirked, knowing she's used this on him before.

"Um, no. Why?"

"Because your head is starting to swell."

"Ha-ha," he says sarcastically. "How original. My ex-girlfriend said that to me in eighth grade."

"Oh, did she now?" Massie raised an eyebrow, as if she was curious to who it was. Of course she knew it was herself.

"Yeah." he smiled inwardly. "I haven't really talked to her since." _Yeah, seriously, _Massie side thought. "She was really pretty. Perfect hair, nose, lips. These incredible amber eyes that sparkled."

"Wow. She's way out of your league."

"I swear," he continues, either ignoring her comment or just didn't hear it. "If I saw her today, I could recognize her easily."

She almost laughed at his ignorance. "For some _odd_ reason, I find that highly unlikely."

"But it's true," he counters. "I could."

"Yeah, yeah. Good luck with that." she rolled her amber orbs. "Why are you so hung up on her anyway?"

"I don't know," he looked down. "Everything reminds me of her here. You even look a little like her."

"What a coincidence," she says flatly.

"Now can you please tell me your name?" he begged.

She pursed her lips, trying to come up with a fake name for the meantime. She didn't want him to know who she was just yet. Finally she decided on her gut instinct. It was close enough. "Macey. Call me Macey."

He laughed softly. "My ex's name was Massie and she hated when people called her May-sie."

"Well," she tilted her head slightly. "Good thing I'm not Massie."

* * *

**hope you liked this chapter!**

**any requests/recommendations for next chapter? ****review them beloww:)**

**happy writing!**

**and don't forget to check out my new one-shot if you haven't already! It's extra long just for you guys! **

**xoxo,**

**nataliee**


	5. Placid Dreams

Kristen's heart pounded out of her chest. There was a perfect alignment where she could just barely make the shot, all eyes on her. Taking the risk, she slammed her foot into the ball. It sliced through the air, soaring high above the players' heads. It gracefully bounced off of the goalie's face and became entangled in the net. Beaming victoriously, she accepted the pats on her back from team mates and the sarcastically uttered 'good job's from the other team.

...

The Italian doughy 'pie' was steaming hot, cheese gooey and melting through the paper plates. Kristen raised a perfectly waxed eyebrow at her friend, Mandi, who was already indulging the sitting time bomb she called a pizza. "Dude," she warns. "Your mouth is going to catch on fire."

Just as she says it, the brunette girl's face turned a deep red. She jolted up from her seat and raced to the bathroom on the other side of the small dorm. They were in Kristen's room and she had just recently finished personalizing it. The walls had pictures of her and her soccer sisters, her idols, trophies, medals, past art projects, award winning essays and even some pictures of the Old PC. Her crinkled blue soccer uniform was still draped over her upper torso but she changed into jeans before picking up food. Her hot pink flip flops slid easily off of her feet as she jumped onto her bed and grabbed a classic to skim while Mandi washed out her mouth. _The Great Gatsby _By Scott Fitzgerald. _  
_

She brought her knees up to chin level and began to read. The old book's pages were crisp and clean, untouched for nearly a year. Words practically flew off the page and she relived the memories from the time period she was reading it.

_"Put my book down!" she giggled, but commanded at the same time. _

_"Make me!" Kemp stuck his tongue out and held it higher in the air so she couldn't reach. She leaped into the air but, try as she might, it was useless. Suddenly he brought it down slightly and whispered "Think fast!" before flinging it across her bedroom._

_Kristen walked over calmly and picked it up. She held it at arms length, examining any damage that he may have done. But fortunately for him, there was no harm to the flawless masterpiece._

Mandi disturbed her memories by re-entering the room.

"Kris, did you hear me?" the girl with straight chestnut brown hair questions. Her locks were short, ending just below the shoulder. Her eyes were like crystals, bright and icy blue.

"Uh. no." Kristen replies flatly.

"I _said_," she restates petulantly. "Did you hear about Coach Sneer? Apparently, someone new is taking her place. She quit for whatever reason."

Kristen laughed out loud, knowing fully why. "_Ha-_ probably because you used a major put-down on her when she tried to make you Goalie!"

Mandi smirked her bubblegum pink lips "True, true."

"Ugh," Kristen groaned. "I just wish we had more people to compete against. Its not as fun when you're just on a local team. And all the college teams go up against each other! But _no_. _Our_ college doesn't have a team."

"It's just something we have to deal with in our _Fabulous_ lives." Mandi sighed. Kristen let out a chuckle and repeated what Mandi said earlier.

"True. True."

* * *

_Claire stood in an open field. She was finding a tranquil state. She had no worry in the world. Calmness, serenity. Yes. Placid. _

_Wait..._

_Placid. _

_Lake Placid. Briarwood Boys. Cam. Cheating. Arguments. Make up kiss. Sneaking out. Bugs. Ew. Massie's camping list. MUCK. Stress. Keds. Fear. Dark. Cold. Forest. Lake. Drown. Animals. Woods. Dylan's Mom and Mr. Myner. Ew. EW = Eternal Wannabes. EW = Layne. EW = Meena. EW = Heather. EW = Her. Massie's first Kiss. Derrington. Kemp. CAM. CAM. CAM. Nikki Dalton. Plovert. Griffin. Kristen. The Notebook. Nicolas Sparks. Romance. CAM. Landon. Massie. Alicia. Mean. Meena. Heather. EW. Witty Committee. Layne. Dempsey. Africa. Starvation. Help. Dempsey. Kristen. Smart. Scholarship. OCD. BOCD. Briarwood. Briarwood Boys. Hot. Dempsey. Massie. Perfume. Water. Dylan. Derrington. Captain. Tomahawks. CAM. CAM. CAM. CAM. CAM._

All these thoughts swirled around in her mind until they flooded her brain and she couldn't take it anymore. She jolted upright, panting for breath. Across the room, her new room mate slept with her eyes open, or was she watching her sleep? Either way, that chick was creepy.

Stepping only on the tips of her toes, she got up and walked out of the room-sure to close the door behind her. Immediately, she flicked the lights on. The recess lighting illuminated the kitchen/living room. Aimlessly walking, she walked to the fridge and grabbed milk.

She definitely wasn't getting sleep that night.

**Sorry this is so short D:**

**I really wanted you to have another chapter though! and besides, we don't need Massie and Derrick every chapter!...right..? lol**

**xoxo,**

**natalie**


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